What do you think?
Rate this book
Beauty & The Beast #1
A Beauty So Cruel
I was a beauty, a stray orphan who witnessed a murder and the beast took me as his hostage.
Once upon a time...
A Don by the name of Vlad Vitalli ruled New York, the leader of one of the five ruling Families, La Cosa Nostra. He's a monster, a trained killer, and a cold-blooded murderer. He's tall, mysterious, with icy gray eyes, he rarely smiles, and he is going to murder me.
I was the wrong person at the wrong time.
An innocent at the masquerade ball but I witnessed a murder. I become a target to the mafia who have a rule of no witnesses left behind. To save my life, I made a deal with the ruthless beast, handing myself to the cruelest man in the kingdom.
Just as Don Vlad was about to order the hit, I threw off my masquerade mask, revealing my face, and offered myself to him. One look and I was doomed.
He took me as his hostage. His captive. He didn't know that by taking me, Dahlia, he sealed his own fate.
Welcome to New York's Underworld.
Loosely based on the fairytale Beauty & The Beast.
Once upon a time...
A Don by the name of Vlad Vitalli ruled New York, the leader of one of the five ruling Families, La Cosa Nostra. He's a monster, a trained killer, and a cold-blooded murderer. He's tall, mysterious, with icy gray eyes, he rarely smiles, and he is going to murder me.
I was the wrong person at the wrong time.
An innocent at the masquerade ball but I witnessed a murder. I become a target to the mafia who have a rule of no witnesses left behind. To save my life, I made a deal with the ruthless beast, handing myself to the cruelest man in the kingdom.
Just as Don Vlad was about to order the hit, I threw off my masquerade mask, revealing my face, and offered myself to him. One look and I was doomed.
He took me as his hostage. His captive. He didn't know that by taking me, Dahlia, he sealed his own fate.
Welcome to New York's Underworld.
Loosely based on the fairytale Beauty & The Beast.
320 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 31, 2021
405 people are currently reading
4498 people want to read
About the author
Beena Khan
39 books1,012 followersBeena Khan is a storyteller that brings grim fairytales, myths, and legends to life. She writes crime and contemporary books. Her books are thrilling, painful, dangerous, emotional, and raw.
Subscribe to her newsletter for exclusive content, upcoming releases, cover reveals, ARCS, excerpts, teasers, giveaways, and book trailers!
http://eepurl.com/g072Of
Follow the platforms:
Instagram➜https://www.instagram.com/beenaxkhan
Twitter➜https://twitter.com/Beenaxkhan
Facebook➜https://www.facebook.com/beenaxkhan
Beena's Beastlys➜https://www.facebook.com/groups/TNORe...
Subscribe to her newsletter for exclusive content, upcoming releases, cover reveals, ARCS, excerpts, teasers, giveaways, and book trailers!
http://eepurl.com/g072Of
Follow the platforms:
Instagram➜https://www.instagram.com/beenaxkhan
Twitter➜https://twitter.com/Beenaxkhan
Facebook➜https://www.facebook.com/beenaxkhan
Beena's Beastlys➜https://www.facebook.com/groups/TNORe...
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 418 reviews
January 23, 2021
*ARC kindly provided by the author in exchange of an honest review*
It was not the best but not bad it was something in between
I feel like my Standards are exceptionly high when it it comes to Made men and Anti heroes so this could be just me
Vlad was OKAY
He was not cruel enough for me 🤣???
I know I have issues 🤣🤣
I found his behaviour kinda cliche
The ending didn’t surprise me at all. I was expecting it
I mean which sane female protagonist will willingly offer herself to be a captive? Yes from there the story stared
This book reminded me of a very famous Bollywood movie called Don
All in all it was a mediocre read 😐
It was not the best but not bad it was something in between
I feel like my Standards are exceptionly high when it it comes to Made men and Anti heroes so this could be just me
Vlad was OKAY
He was not cruel enough for me 🤣???
I know I have issues 🤣🤣
I found his behaviour kinda cliche
The ending didn’t surprise me at all. I was expecting it
I mean which sane female protagonist will willingly offer herself to be a captive? Yes from there the story stared
This book reminded me of a very famous Bollywood movie called Don
All in all it was a mediocre read 😐
Read
July 6, 2022My first dark mafia book based loosely on Beauty & The Beast. This book is not a standalone and part of a duet.
Available now on Valentine's Day. February 14. Available on Kindle Unlimited.
AMAZON US https://amzn.to/3pnvFeX
AMAZON CAN https://amzn.to/3hkNIQ4
The sequel A Beast So Cold Out now.
Vote for the book here for 2021 February's most anticipated romances!
https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1...
TW: abuse, abduction, language, assault, torture, bullying, mentions of sexual slavery, and violence.
If you guys read & liked the book, please post reviews on Goodreads, Amazon, and/or Bookbub. It’ll help out an indie author! Thank you x
Available now on Valentine's Day. February 14. Available on Kindle Unlimited.
AMAZON US https://amzn.to/3pnvFeX
AMAZON CAN https://amzn.to/3hkNIQ4
The sequel A Beast So Cold Out now.
Vote for the book here for 2021 February's most anticipated romances!
https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1...
TW: abuse, abduction, language, assault, torture, bullying, mentions of sexual slavery, and violence.
If you guys read & liked the book, please post reviews on Goodreads, Amazon, and/or Bookbub. It’ll help out an indie author! Thank you x
February 13, 2021
3⭐️⭐️⭐️
Style: Dark Mafia Romance
Story: 3/5
Enjoyment: 3.5/5
Dark Level: 0/5
Sexual: GOOD
Triggers: YES
Male: Mysterious, Antihero & Sexy
Series: Book 1 (cliffhanger)
Pages: loc. 3290
Kindle Unlimited:
STORY:
I like this book, but had mix feelings about the beginning. When I started this book, I honestly felt like I wanted to stop with a dnf. Not because it was boring, no, but because of Dahlia. Her thoughts and the way she conveyed the story to me, the reader, I did not connect with it. It felt off, and I was not connecting with her actions and reactions to Vlad. Vlad in the beginning, I actually thought he was too nice, but his demeanor seems conflicting to me, because other times he seems reserved, cold and unfeeling. I also wanted to note that Dahlia kept saying she was kidnapped, I disagree. She was being held captive, which is correct, however, you can not be kidnapped when you willingly gave yourself over.
Around 40% of the book, I don’t know what happen, but I started enjoying the book. Dahlia did not seem like the same person to me and Vlad was giving me stern sexy and charm mixed together. It was not only the change in characters that started swaying me, but everything that is taking place between other characters and what was unfolding. I really became invested and couldn’t believe I was reading the same book.
I became so invested in the story that the cliffhanger ending and what took place prior to the cliffhanger ripped my heart out of my chest. I will be devastated for the next 2 days. So wrong; especially what took place moments before it happens. I can’t really say what I want about the end with spoilers. The surprise has me asking more questions. I hope these will be explained in book 2.
CHEMISTRY:
That searching for a wire scene between Vlad and Dahlia, creative and sexy. I’m wearing a wire, can Gabriele search me PLEASE! PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE! Vlad’s and Dahlia’s relationship started out ok, but it truly became hypnotizing and romantic for me in different ways as their story progress.
SECONDARY CHARACTERS
There were characters that brought this book to life especially half way through this book onward. Some good and others, cruel. I hope Gabriele get his own story.
Overall, as much as I did not care for the beginning, I still walked away enjoying this book. I am actually looking forward to the dark destruction Vlad will cause in book 2 with all that has taken place. This should be interesting.
**Triggers: attempted rape, human trafficking etc...
***I don’t equate these stories to real life. It’s about personal taste and what you would or want to tolerate with the books you read. I know we all have different opinions and preferences with what we read and hope this review was helpful.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Style: Dark Mafia Romance
Story: 3/5
Enjoyment: 3.5/5
Dark Level: 0/5
Sexual: GOOD
Triggers: YES
Male: Mysterious, Antihero & Sexy
Series: Book 1 (cliffhanger)
Pages: loc. 3290
Kindle Unlimited:
STORY:
I like this book, but had mix feelings about the beginning. When I started this book, I honestly felt like I wanted to stop with a dnf. Not because it was boring, no, but because of Dahlia. Her thoughts and the way she conveyed the story to me, the reader, I did not connect with it. It felt off, and I was not connecting with her actions and reactions to Vlad. Vlad in the beginning, I actually thought he was too nice, but his demeanor seems conflicting to me, because other times he seems reserved, cold and unfeeling. I also wanted to note that Dahlia kept saying she was kidnapped, I disagree. She was being held captive, which is correct, however, you can not be kidnapped when you willingly gave yourself over.
Around 40% of the book, I don’t know what happen, but I started enjoying the book. Dahlia did not seem like the same person to me and Vlad was giving me stern sexy and charm mixed together. It was not only the change in characters that started swaying me, but everything that is taking place between other characters and what was unfolding. I really became invested and couldn’t believe I was reading the same book.
I became so invested in the story that the cliffhanger ending and what took place prior to the cliffhanger ripped my heart out of my chest. I will be devastated for the next 2 days. So wrong; especially what took place moments before it happens. I can’t really say what I want about the end with spoilers. The surprise has me asking more questions. I hope these will be explained in book 2.
CHEMISTRY:
That searching for a wire scene between Vlad and Dahlia, creative and sexy. I’m wearing a wire, can Gabriele search me PLEASE! PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE! Vlad’s and Dahlia’s relationship started out ok, but it truly became hypnotizing and romantic for me in different ways as their story progress.
SECONDARY CHARACTERS
There were characters that brought this book to life especially half way through this book onward. Some good and others, cruel. I hope Gabriele get his own story.
Overall, as much as I did not care for the beginning, I still walked away enjoying this book. I am actually looking forward to the dark destruction Vlad will cause in book 2 with all that has taken place. This should be interesting.
**Triggers: attempted rape, human trafficking etc...
***I don’t equate these stories to real life. It’s about personal taste and what you would or want to tolerate with the books you read. I know we all have different opinions and preferences with what we read and hope this review was helpful.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
July 30, 2022
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I really enjoyed reading this book.
I found Vlad's character to be very unpredictable especially in the first half of the book, so much so it was hard to tell what situation Dahlia had gotten herself into, and in which direction the story would go, ultimately this kept me in suspense all the way through the book, making it a quick and easy read.
Happy Reading 📚📗📙📚📓📘📚📙📖📗📔📕📓📚📒📙📖📗📘📕📓📚📚📗📕📘📓📚📒📙📖
I really enjoyed reading this book.
I found Vlad's character to be very unpredictable especially in the first half of the book, so much so it was hard to tell what situation Dahlia had gotten herself into, and in which direction the story would go, ultimately this kept me in suspense all the way through the book, making it a quick and easy read.
Happy Reading 📚📗📙📚📓📘📚📙📖📗📔📕📓📚📒📙📖📗📘📕📓📚📚📗📕📘📓📚📒📙📖
August 16, 2021
A Beauty so Cruel is not to my expectation. I still like it OK. Miss Khan is a new author for me. I am still learning her writing skill. I do like the idea of Beauty and the Beast retelling with more adult theme such as BDSM and dark mafia romance.
However the suspense between Vlad and Dahlia does not really hit the spot for me. I got confuse with the mystery and the suspense. I just knew that this book is made into series in India. Is this true??
At the end I do not dismiss this book as bad book, I think I need to read more to get more understanding of Miss Khan's writing.
3 stars
However the suspense between Vlad and Dahlia does not really hit the spot for me. I got confuse with the mystery and the suspense. I just knew that this book is made into series in India. Is this true??
At the end I do not dismiss this book as bad book, I think I need to read more to get more understanding of Miss Khan's writing.
3 stars
May 4, 2025
It’s a entertaining book with good characters and well done story.
It’s worth reading.
It’s worth reading.
August 7, 2021
OH POR DIOSSSSS NO ME LLEGUE A IMAGINAR ESE TREMENDO PLOW TWIST
NECESITO COMENZAR A LEER EL SIGUIENTE LIBRO YAAA
NECESITO COMENZAR A LEER EL SIGUIENTE LIBRO YAAA
February 12, 2021
TW:
2.5 | Honestly, I had never read anything from this author before, but the promise of a beauty and the beast retelling, plus mafia romance, made me have high expectations that sadly weren't met after all.
While I did enjoy some scenes, my biggest problem was that I didn't like the writing, and that made it difficult for me to connect with the main characters. It felt cut off at moments and that didn't let the story flow very easily.
Then there's Vlad Vitalli, who I didn't feel like a mob boss AT ALL. he was too good? too merciful? I don't know, maybe I'm the one with the problem, but he wasn't my favorite character to find in this type of romance. And Dahlia Hadid and her multiple personalities... Idk, I think I would have connected more with her if I had more clues where this was heading, but we only had that fight scene and then the truth was finally revealed, but it didn't make much sense to me because her entire internal monologue up to this point was the one of a damsel in distress wondering when she would be free and safe again.
This ends on a not-too-cliffhanger cliffhanger, so I don't know if I'll be tuning in for the next installment.
ARC provided in exchange of an honest review.
2.5 | Honestly, I had never read anything from this author before, but the promise of a beauty and the beast retelling, plus mafia romance, made me have high expectations that sadly weren't met after all.
While I did enjoy some scenes, my biggest problem was that I didn't like the writing, and that made it difficult for me to connect with the main characters. It felt cut off at moments and that didn't let the story flow very easily.
Then there's Vlad Vitalli, who I didn't feel like a mob boss AT ALL. he was too good? too merciful? I don't know, maybe I'm the one with the problem, but he wasn't my favorite character to find in this type of romance. And Dahlia Hadid and her multiple personalities... Idk, I think I would have connected more with her if I had more clues where this was heading, but we only had that fight scene and then the truth was finally revealed, but it didn't make much sense to me because her entire internal monologue up to this point was the one of a damsel in distress wondering when she would be free and safe again.
This ends on a not-too-cliffhanger cliffhanger, so I don't know if I'll be tuning in for the next installment.
ARC provided in exchange of an honest review.
January 22, 2021
ARC kindly provided by the author in exchange of an honest review.
OMG, what did I just read?! That ending man... it ruined me! Don’t get me wrong, I loved this book, but it totally shocked me.
So, let me tell you something. In the beginning, the book didn’t surprise me... I thought something was missing. The attitude Dahlia had, was really suspicious. I mean, she wasn’t afraid... I tried to understand her, but it just didn’t make sense. Until the end... when I was suddenly enlightened! Beena built her female character very well. I usually know how a book ends somewhere at the middle of the book. But in this case, all my expectations were exceeded in the last 10% of the book.
And if I talked a bit about Dahlia, it seems obvious that I should also express my opinion about the Don. Vlad was... amazing! And this was not a word I expected to use about a mafia character. But he was sweet! A total contradiction. I felt so sorry for him. Why? Well you should read this book in order to find out. And trust me, you won’t regret if you follow my recommendation!
Overall, the book was pretty interesting, it had suspense, which is needed from my side, because suspense always keeps me into the story. And again, just like Beena got me used to, another subject was outlined in the story. This time, I had the opportunity to read about the way women are treated when they are kidnapped, raped and sold for prostitution purposes. It is a hard subject to read about, but considering that this is the cruel reality, the books makes you think about it.
In conclusion, it’s a 5 stars kind of book without a doubt!
P. S. I also felt a special connection with Vlad’s cousin. I hope I’ll get a chance to read more about him in the future. And of course, I can’t wait to read the next book! But just thinking that I have to wait until April... it breaks my heart! I need it now!
P. P. S. The title makes sense now! The Beauty was indeed cruel.
OMG, what did I just read?! That ending man... it ruined me! Don’t get me wrong, I loved this book, but it totally shocked me.
So, let me tell you something. In the beginning, the book didn’t surprise me... I thought something was missing. The attitude Dahlia had, was really suspicious. I mean, she wasn’t afraid... I tried to understand her, but it just didn’t make sense. Until the end... when I was suddenly enlightened! Beena built her female character very well. I usually know how a book ends somewhere at the middle of the book. But in this case, all my expectations were exceeded in the last 10% of the book.
And if I talked a bit about Dahlia, it seems obvious that I should also express my opinion about the Don. Vlad was... amazing! And this was not a word I expected to use about a mafia character. But he was sweet! A total contradiction. I felt so sorry for him. Why? Well you should read this book in order to find out. And trust me, you won’t regret if you follow my recommendation!
Overall, the book was pretty interesting, it had suspense, which is needed from my side, because suspense always keeps me into the story. And again, just like Beena got me used to, another subject was outlined in the story. This time, I had the opportunity to read about the way women are treated when they are kidnapped, raped and sold for prostitution purposes. It is a hard subject to read about, but considering that this is the cruel reality, the books makes you think about it.
In conclusion, it’s a 5 stars kind of book without a doubt!
P. S. I also felt a special connection with Vlad’s cousin. I hope I’ll get a chance to read more about him in the future. And of course, I can’t wait to read the next book! But just thinking that I have to wait until April... it breaks my heart! I need it now!
P. P. S. The title makes sense now! The Beauty was indeed cruel.
May 16, 2021
This book was so addicting! And that ending?? Oh my gosh! Absolutely adored every second of it! The plot twist made me question everyone and everything! Also Dahlia is a sassy queen. Mafia romance is not my go-to genre, but Beena Khan did an incredible job!
Brb, gonna binge the rest of this series now!!
Brb, gonna binge the rest of this series now!!
February 6, 2021
2
trigger warning: sexual abuse, violence
*big sigh* I wanted to like this, I really did. When the author approached me and I found out this was somewhat like a beauty and the beast retelling but set in a mafia world, I got so excited. Beauty and the beast was my favorite princess movie growing up and I’ve been really into mafia romances lately so it felt like perfection. I appreciated how Beena also included trigger warning at the start of the book.
Positive first, I thought their dynamic was cute at times and I really appreciated his protectiveness of her. I loved that dahlia liked gardening, I found it kind of refreshing. I liked how the characters had different qualities and Beena was able to show that throughout the book.
Negative next, I’ll try do my best to make this short.
I am not a fan of Beena’s writing. I couldn’t form a connection with the characters and at times I found the transition between sentences and paragraphs fo be choppy and really sudden. Vlad was frustrating at times, it felt like he fell for the first girl he’s ever seen and that was so frustrating because someone tell me HOW in the world is he a mafia don??😭 Some of the events were too out of place and I was honestly bothered by that because it didn’t exactly make sense. Safe to say, I was just disappointed throughout the whole book.
There will be a second book to this but I honestly will not be reading that. This ends in a cliffhanger but even that didn’t make me curious as to what was coming next for these characters.
trigger warning: sexual abuse, violence
*big sigh* I wanted to like this, I really did. When the author approached me and I found out this was somewhat like a beauty and the beast retelling but set in a mafia world, I got so excited. Beauty and the beast was my favorite princess movie growing up and I’ve been really into mafia romances lately so it felt like perfection. I appreciated how Beena also included trigger warning at the start of the book.
Positive first, I thought their dynamic was cute at times and I really appreciated his protectiveness of her. I loved that dahlia liked gardening, I found it kind of refreshing. I liked how the characters had different qualities and Beena was able to show that throughout the book.
Negative next, I’ll try do my best to make this short.
I am not a fan of Beena’s writing. I couldn’t form a connection with the characters and at times I found the transition between sentences and paragraphs fo be choppy and really sudden. Vlad was frustrating at times, it felt like he fell for the first girl he’s ever seen and that was so frustrating because someone tell me HOW in the world is he a mafia don??😭 Some of the events were too out of place and I was honestly bothered by that because it didn’t exactly make sense. Safe to say, I was just disappointed throughout the whole book.
There will be a second book to this but I honestly will not be reading that. This ends in a cliffhanger but even that didn’t make me curious as to what was coming next for these characters.
February 25, 2022
Review to Come
3.15/5 + 1⭐ for Lebanese FMC
Review to come. I'm on a book high right now and I need some time to consolidate my thoughts.
In short, I wasn't planning on giving this book more than two stars until the last ten percent when everything fell into place.
3.15/5 + 1⭐ for Lebanese FMC
Review to come. I'm on a book high right now and I need some time to consolidate my thoughts.
In short, I wasn't planning on giving this book more than two stars until the last ten percent when everything fell into place.
April 13, 2021
A BEAUTY SO CRUEL BY BEENA KHAN
"I am a beauty so cruel. He was my ruin. My reckoning. My utter destruction."
🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹 5 BEASTLY STARS
🌹 MAFIA
🌹 DARK
🌹 TWISTED
A Beauty So Cruel is book book one is in the Beauty & the Beast Duet, is a shocking story that is completely unpredictable.
Vladimir Vitalli, a Don on of the Five Families of New York sees Dahlia Hadid and is instantly attracted to her. She walks in on something she should not have at a masked event and is taken hostage by Vlad. This is not your average Beauty and the Beast retelling, the beast is not so beastly and the beauty is not innocent. Dahlia has grown up in foster homes, she has suffered abuse that made her develop a defense mechanism to protect her. This book starts slow and builds to the grand finale, that still has me in shock!! I have been on a fairytale retelling kick, and had mild expectations going in just a simple retelling. There was nothing simple about this book, it was twisted and dark. I highly recommend reading this series!
"I am a beauty so cruel. He was my ruin. My reckoning. My utter destruction."
🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹 5 BEASTLY STARS
🌹 MAFIA
🌹 DARK
🌹 TWISTED
A Beauty So Cruel is book book one is in the Beauty & the Beast Duet, is a shocking story that is completely unpredictable.
Vladimir Vitalli, a Don on of the Five Families of New York sees Dahlia Hadid and is instantly attracted to her. She walks in on something she should not have at a masked event and is taken hostage by Vlad. This is not your average Beauty and the Beast retelling, the beast is not so beastly and the beauty is not innocent. Dahlia has grown up in foster homes, she has suffered abuse that made her develop a defense mechanism to protect her. This book starts slow and builds to the grand finale, that still has me in shock!! I have been on a fairytale retelling kick, and had mild expectations going in just a simple retelling. There was nothing simple about this book, it was twisted and dark. I highly recommend reading this series!
March 7, 2021
Be warned that this has triggers so please read at your own risk. And it’s a modern Beauty & the Beast retelling.
Dahlia’s past is one that did not allow it to define her. But I felt that made her the resilient woman that takes no crap from anyone. Vlad, a mafia boss falls for Dahlia and I felt that a soft side came out when it came to Dahlia.
As these two embark on a journey of master & prisoner the feelings become more real and the lines get crossed. Despite being a mafia boss, I felt Vlad became a puddle of goeyness when it come to Dahlia. And we can we talk about hot Vlad & Dahlia can get 🔥 🔥 Those twist had me rooting for them and just when I thought that….well you’ll have to click to see. Waiting patiently for book 2. Kara~ 4 Stars
Dahlia’s past is one that did not allow it to define her. But I felt that made her the resilient woman that takes no crap from anyone. Vlad, a mafia boss falls for Dahlia and I felt that a soft side came out when it came to Dahlia.
As these two embark on a journey of master & prisoner the feelings become more real and the lines get crossed. Despite being a mafia boss, I felt Vlad became a puddle of goeyness when it come to Dahlia. And we can we talk about hot Vlad & Dahlia can get 🔥 🔥 Those twist had me rooting for them and just when I thought that….well you’ll have to click to see. Waiting patiently for book 2. Kara~ 4 Stars
June 12, 2021
This is a dark and gritty mafia retelling of Beauty and the Beast. Of course, like most Beauty and the Beast retellings, the “Beast” isn’t actually hideous--at least, not on the outside. (Of course, I’m not complaining that this mafia Don is a hottie, it’s just funny to me that this is a trend in retellings to not make the beast beastly looking).
I absolutely adored Dahlia as a heroine. She’s strong. She’s a total bad@ss. She has a tragic past that she’s had to overcome. She’ll do whatever it takes to survive.
Vlad is also an interesting character, though he somewhat paled in comparison to the heroine. His scenes are in third person POV (while Dahlia’s are in first person), and I can’t help but wonder if maybe that’s why I connected with him less.
This book has lots of highs and lows, and I was there for the entire ride. One thing that did bother me was the grammatical errors--the kind that aren’t just typos, which ended up pulling me out of the experience. With such a gorgeous and professionally designed cover, I would have expected Khan to have invested the money into hiring a proofreader (and if she did hire one, she definitely needs a better one).
The twist at the end was a little obvious from the get go--mostly because of the not-so-subtle clues and the fact that I’ve seen similar twists in similar books before. That said, having seen it coming it didn’t anger me at all, which I could see happening to other readers.
All in all, this is an incredibly dark and twisted retelling of Beauty and the Beast, and definitely go into this story wary of the trigger warnings!
I absolutely adored Dahlia as a heroine. She’s strong. She’s a total bad@ss. She has a tragic past that she’s had to overcome. She’ll do whatever it takes to survive.
Vlad is also an interesting character, though he somewhat paled in comparison to the heroine. His scenes are in third person POV (while Dahlia’s are in first person), and I can’t help but wonder if maybe that’s why I connected with him less.
This book has lots of highs and lows, and I was there for the entire ride. One thing that did bother me was the grammatical errors--the kind that aren’t just typos, which ended up pulling me out of the experience. With such a gorgeous and professionally designed cover, I would have expected Khan to have invested the money into hiring a proofreader (and if she did hire one, she definitely needs a better one).
The twist at the end was a little obvious from the get go--mostly because of the not-so-subtle clues and the fact that I’ve seen similar twists in similar books before. That said, having seen it coming it didn’t anger me at all, which I could see happening to other readers.
All in all, this is an incredibly dark and twisted retelling of Beauty and the Beast, and definitely go into this story wary of the trigger warnings!
June 23, 2021
4.5⭐️
“I never would have let him take you from me. I always fought for you and I always will.”
I just knew that Vladimir would be my type from the start. The way that this man exuded power, control, and his alphahole ways—💳💳💳 take all my money.
I had no idea what to expect with this book, but it exceeded all of the expectations that I had. I loved Vlad’s demeanour and how he carried himself, though when he let Enzo touch Dahlia, I about smacked him in the face. But he came through when I needed him to. But I really needed more from him during this scene.
I looooooved Dahlia, but her betrayal? Ooooooh yeah, for that I wanted to slap her. I get it, but still. Trying to figure out what she was hiding was what I spent majority of the book doing lol I kept playing around with different ideas in my head and when it’s revealed I was like Daaaaaaang Doll…how you gonna do him like that?
If you love an alphahole, touch her and I will kill you, mafia man and a heroine who is stronger than she appears—this is the book for you. I cannot wait to dive in to the next book.
“I never would have let him take you from me. I always fought for you and I always will.”
I just knew that Vladimir would be my type from the start. The way that this man exuded power, control, and his alphahole ways—💳💳💳 take all my money.
I had no idea what to expect with this book, but it exceeded all of the expectations that I had. I loved Vlad’s demeanour and how he carried himself, though when he let Enzo touch Dahlia, I about smacked him in the face. But he came through when I needed him to. But I really needed more from him during this scene.
I looooooved Dahlia, but her betrayal? Ooooooh yeah, for that I wanted to slap her. I get it, but still. Trying to figure out what she was hiding was what I spent majority of the book doing lol I kept playing around with different ideas in my head and when it’s revealed I was like Daaaaaaang Doll…how you gonna do him like that?
If you love an alphahole, touch her and I will kill you, mafia man and a heroine who is stronger than she appears—this is the book for you. I cannot wait to dive in to the next book.
March 27, 2021
What a ending
Just finished A beauty so cruel and that ending lead me to want more, what a cliffhanger!!
Dahlia ends up in Vlads house due to seeing something she shouldnt have.
Kidnapped and locked up she starts to see a side to Vlad she doesnt expect all the while facing the demons of her past.
Can Dahlia and Vlad fight there feelings towards each other?
Can Vlad keep his evil father away from Dahlia?
This was a amazing mafia romance and the mutual attraction was steaming!!!
Just finished A beauty so cruel and that ending lead me to want more, what a cliffhanger!!
Dahlia ends up in Vlads house due to seeing something she shouldnt have.
Kidnapped and locked up she starts to see a side to Vlad she doesnt expect all the while facing the demons of her past.
Can Dahlia and Vlad fight there feelings towards each other?
Can Vlad keep his evil father away from Dahlia?
This was a amazing mafia romance and the mutual attraction was steaming!!!
March 17, 2021
A Beauty So Cruel is my first read by this author and in that aspect I was very intrigued with the writing.
The character development is one of the things that I was most looking forward to. As it’s the first book of the series I wasn’t expecting too much development so it keeps me wanting more and i’m interested in what’s to come for the rest of the series.
I have to admit the beginning was very different to me which I wasn’t sure how I felt about it until I started reading further along in the story and began to piece the moments together. All in all this was an interesting read and I didn’t expect some of the things that happened in the book! I’m even more intrigued with the characters and how they develop more in depth.
The character development is one of the things that I was most looking forward to. As it’s the first book of the series I wasn’t expecting too much development so it keeps me wanting more and i’m interested in what’s to come for the rest of the series.
I have to admit the beginning was very different to me which I wasn’t sure how I felt about it until I started reading further along in the story and began to piece the moments together. All in all this was an interesting read and I didn’t expect some of the things that happened in the book! I’m even more intrigued with the characters and how they develop more in depth.
April 25, 2021
4.5 stars
A Beauty so Cruel is a modern Beauty and the Beast retelling with a mafia romance going on. Needless to say when I heard “Mafia Romance” I was sold and I was hooked on this wonderful book really soon!😍
The main character Dhalia seems very sweet, innocent, vulnerable and even weak at first, but it gets clear fast that she is anything but weak. She has a strong mind, a dark past that taught her a thing or two, but she’s also not helpless when it comes to defending her body. This was really something that surprised me while reading this book and it was for sure not the only surprising thing that happened.👀
Vlad on the other hand is the ruthless mafia boss with blood on his hands. Someone that is not afraid of using violence and killing people. Someone that everyone fears. And not so surprisingly he also has a hidden side to him, a softer side. A side that made me smile throughout the entire story. These two characters are opposites in so many ways and still you can say they found their match in each other and it was lovely seeing these two interact and grow closer. There were some really cute scenes that made me laugh, giggle, swoon and gasp.❤️❤️
The dialogues were well written as well and not only where the main characters were involved, but also with others - especially with Gabriele to which I almost immediately took a liking!🥰
In the end the book kept me up until late into the night, because I needed to finish it! I was nervous, because I KNEW something would happen, but let me assure you I did not see THIS ending coming. My jaw dropped to the floor at the revelation that happened and after taking a little bit to process what exactly happened (I really need that process time lol) I want to read book 2 and the conclusion to the duology surrounding Vlad and Dhalia as soon as I have the time!!! 😱😱
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
A Beauty so Cruel is a modern Beauty and the Beast retelling with a mafia romance going on. Needless to say when I heard “Mafia Romance” I was sold and I was hooked on this wonderful book really soon!😍
The main character Dhalia seems very sweet, innocent, vulnerable and even weak at first, but it gets clear fast that she is anything but weak. She has a strong mind, a dark past that taught her a thing or two, but she’s also not helpless when it comes to defending her body. This was really something that surprised me while reading this book and it was for sure not the only surprising thing that happened.👀
Vlad on the other hand is the ruthless mafia boss with blood on his hands. Someone that is not afraid of using violence and killing people. Someone that everyone fears. And not so surprisingly he also has a hidden side to him, a softer side. A side that made me smile throughout the entire story. These two characters are opposites in so many ways and still you can say they found their match in each other and it was lovely seeing these two interact and grow closer. There were some really cute scenes that made me laugh, giggle, swoon and gasp.❤️❤️
The dialogues were well written as well and not only where the main characters were involved, but also with others - especially with Gabriele to which I almost immediately took a liking!🥰
In the end the book kept me up until late into the night, because I needed to finish it! I was nervous, because I KNEW something would happen, but let me assure you I did not see THIS ending coming. My jaw dropped to the floor at the revelation that happened and after taking a little bit to process what exactly happened (I really need that process time lol) I want to read book 2 and the conclusion to the duology surrounding Vlad and Dhalia as soon as I have the time!!! 😱😱
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
April 4, 2023
3.75⭐️
Rivisitazione de La Bella e la Bestia in chiave mafia romance, ambientato a New York dei giorni nostri.
Devo dire che la storia di Vlad Vitalli e Dahlia Hadid risulta abbastanza scontata all'inizio, ma che man mano durante la lettura incuriosisce e appassiona.
Tutto sommato mi piace lo stile dell'autrice, immediato, scorrevole, sensuale e con un bel intreccio e colpi di scena. Affrontando anche temi scottanti e delicati.
Il cliffhanger finale mi ha colpita molto!!!
Per fortuna c'è già il secondo.
Consigliato!
Rivisitazione de La Bella e la Bestia in chiave mafia romance, ambientato a New York dei giorni nostri.
Devo dire che la storia di Vlad Vitalli e Dahlia Hadid risulta abbastanza scontata all'inizio, ma che man mano durante la lettura incuriosisce e appassiona.
Tutto sommato mi piace lo stile dell'autrice, immediato, scorrevole, sensuale e con un bel intreccio e colpi di scena. Affrontando anche temi scottanti e delicati.
Il cliffhanger finale mi ha colpita molto!!!
Per fortuna c'è già il secondo.
Consigliato!
February 15, 2021
4.5/5*
Original review
This book was provided by the author through Give Me Books Promotions in exchange for an honest review. Thank you Beena Khan and Give Me Books Promotions!
Original review
This book was provided by the author through Give Me Books Promotions in exchange for an honest review. Thank you Beena Khan and Give Me Books Promotions!
A Beauty So Cruel is the first book in the Beauty & The Beast series and tells the story of Dahlia and Vlad.
He was the beast who I shouldn’t want, but I wanted to be consumed by him.
A Beauty So Cruel is the first book I’ve read by Beena Khan and I’m so excited to check out her other books. I really enjoyed reading A Beauty So Cruel, it was so interesting and addictive. It was hard to put this book down because I had to know what was going to happen to the characters. And let’s not forget the ending. I WAS SO SHOCKED. I didn’t see it coming at all and I’ve been thinking about the ending for a while now. I’m still not over it… It was one of the biggest plot twists ever.
He might be the beast, the monster, the enemy, but right now, he was all that I wanted.
So when I started reading this book, I was really happy that the author included a little trigger warning at the beginning of the book. This book deals with some topics such as abuse, bullying, and rape. I’m really glad that she included a trigger warning because it can be triggering for some people. From the minute I read about Dahlia and Vlad, I liked both of them. Dahlia is such a strong character, she’s been through a lot. I also loved her sass. Vlad isn’t your typical mafia boss, in my opinion, but I liked that about him. He was also a bit cocky in the beginning and that made me laugh so much.
I am a beauty so cruel. He was my ruin. My reckoning. My utter destruction.
A Beauty So Cruel was such a good read with a plot twist that I didn’t see coming. I love these epic plot twists that make you question the entire book and the characters. I really like Beauty and the Beast retellings and I think Beena Khan did a great job. This book is insane, and it talks about some important topics such as rape, abuse, foster care, etc. I was really mind blown by this book and I highly recommend reading A Beauty So Cruel! I cannot wait to read the second book in the Beauty & The Beast series!
April 8, 2021
The ending saved it!!
3.5 Stars
I wanted so bad for this to be a 5 star read for me. But I listened to the audio book and I need to consider that in my rating and experience.
The story follows Delilah who witnesses a murder and is kidnaped by the Mafia Don, Vlad, who also has Bratva ties hence his name. I'm not really sure what the plot is after that. There are some scenes with the two MCs, there are flash backs for both of them. There are some parts that weren't needed because they didn't help further the plot I was still too unsure about.
The story is written in Dual POV which I love but it's confusing because Delilah's was written in 1st person and Vlad's was written in 3rd person. I don't think I've ever read a book like that before.
The audiobook needed some editing due to repeating lines. Also, it needed a male and female narrator. Having a male narrator only really took from the experience in my opinion.
But wait, I am not just going to tell you what I didn't enjoy or what didn't do it for me.
Let me tell you what Beena Khan did to me. She finished off this book with a big old fat BAM!!!!! The ending saved it for me. Oh my goodness!! Yes it's a cliffy, but if you want someone to be hype and buy your next book, your ending has to do that for them. And that is what Beena did, she guaranteed that I would continue the series because I need to know what happens next. I just NEED to!!!
So thank you for providing me with the audio so I could listen as I read and thank you for showing me a totally different writing style than I am used to and last but no least, thank you for now making me sit here twiddling my thumbs waiting for the next one to drop.
*The book isn't Dark, not in how I would define it b/c I read some pretty dark books, but it does have events that could be triggering to some.
3.5 Stars
I wanted so bad for this to be a 5 star read for me. But I listened to the audio book and I need to consider that in my rating and experience.
The story follows Delilah who witnesses a murder and is kidnaped by the Mafia Don, Vlad, who also has Bratva ties hence his name. I'm not really sure what the plot is after that. There are some scenes with the two MCs, there are flash backs for both of them. There are some parts that weren't needed because they didn't help further the plot I was still too unsure about.
The story is written in Dual POV which I love but it's confusing because Delilah's was written in 1st person and Vlad's was written in 3rd person. I don't think I've ever read a book like that before.
The audiobook needed some editing due to repeating lines. Also, it needed a male and female narrator. Having a male narrator only really took from the experience in my opinion.
But wait, I am not just going to tell you what I didn't enjoy or what didn't do it for me.
Let me tell you what Beena Khan did to me. She finished off this book with a big old fat BAM!!!!! The ending saved it for me. Oh my goodness!! Yes it's a cliffy, but if you want someone to be hype and buy your next book, your ending has to do that for them. And that is what Beena did, she guaranteed that I would continue the series because I need to know what happens next. I just NEED to!!!
So thank you for providing me with the audio so I could listen as I read and thank you for showing me a totally different writing style than I am used to and last but no least, thank you for now making me sit here twiddling my thumbs waiting for the next one to drop.
*The book isn't Dark, not in how I would define it b/c I read some pretty dark books, but it does have events that could be triggering to some.
May 8, 2021
Let me start this by saying damn! This is a beauty and the beast retelling with a mafia twist, and wow it's absolutely amazing. I was already so intrigued from the first chapter alone and loved how it started with a bang!
Vlad is the leader of one of the five ruling families, La Cosa Nostra, and he is known to be a ruthless killer, a monster with no remorse. Dahlia is just an innocent girl at a masquerade party witnessing a murder, becoming a target and taken captive by Vlad. But maybe everything isn't exactly as it seems!
I love how they slowly start to trust each other and she learns that he isn't as bad as he makes himself seem like to others, he has a soft spot for her. The way they start to feel more of a connection to each other and him being captivated by her, as hard as he tries not to, is everything. The chemistry between them is so good!
I definitely love Vlad's more loving side so much and that Dahlia is super fiery and tells it like it is. The funny moments between them are too adorable, and nope I didn't think I'd use that word either, but they are!
The beauty and the beast retelling aspect is simply brilliant and the way the mafia twist is intertwined with it is done so well. I absolutely adore fight scenes in books and they are so amazing in this. And there may or may not be one between Vlad and Dahlia.
There are so many twists throughout the whole book and even more in the end that had me just gaping. Wow they completely took me by surprise. I'm so MIND BLOWN! I need to read A Beast So Cold as soon as I can cause wow what an ending!
A Beauty So Cruel is an intense and dark wild ride that I adored!
"He might be the beast. The monster, the enemy, but right now, he was all that I wanted."
*I received this book from the author but the thoughts are completely my own.*
Vlad is the leader of one of the five ruling families, La Cosa Nostra, and he is known to be a ruthless killer, a monster with no remorse. Dahlia is just an innocent girl at a masquerade party witnessing a murder, becoming a target and taken captive by Vlad. But maybe everything isn't exactly as it seems!
I love how they slowly start to trust each other and she learns that he isn't as bad as he makes himself seem like to others, he has a soft spot for her. The way they start to feel more of a connection to each other and him being captivated by her, as hard as he tries not to, is everything. The chemistry between them is so good!
I definitely love Vlad's more loving side so much and that Dahlia is super fiery and tells it like it is. The funny moments between them are too adorable, and nope I didn't think I'd use that word either, but they are!
The beauty and the beast retelling aspect is simply brilliant and the way the mafia twist is intertwined with it is done so well. I absolutely adore fight scenes in books and they are so amazing in this. And there may or may not be one between Vlad and Dahlia.
There are so many twists throughout the whole book and even more in the end that had me just gaping. Wow they completely took me by surprise. I'm so MIND BLOWN! I need to read A Beast So Cold as soon as I can cause wow what an ending!
A Beauty So Cruel is an intense and dark wild ride that I adored!
"He might be the beast. The monster, the enemy, but right now, he was all that I wanted."
*I received this book from the author but the thoughts are completely my own.*
February 3, 2021
What an exceptional dark romance! A gripping and exciting read, but do not read if you have triggers of sexual abuse or abduction.
I loved this book. Vlad was a beautifully crafted anti-hero and the heroine Dahlia was spunky with enough sass.
There were some great twists at the end, perhaps they could have been eluded to slightly more in advance, particularly in the FMC internal narrative, but thoroughly enjoyable. I’m pleased the author recognised the need for a moral victory at the end, because it alleviates the reader from guilt at warming to the MMC.
I thoroughly recommend this book if dark romance appeals to you.
I received a gifted copy from the author in return for an honest review.
I loved this book. Vlad was a beautifully crafted anti-hero and the heroine Dahlia was spunky with enough sass.
There were some great twists at the end, perhaps they could have been eluded to slightly more in advance, particularly in the FMC internal narrative, but thoroughly enjoyable. I’m pleased the author recognised the need for a moral victory at the end, because it alleviates the reader from guilt at warming to the MMC.
I thoroughly recommend this book if dark romance appeals to you.
I received a gifted copy from the author in return for an honest review.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 31, 2021
OMG! I don't know where to start, I really enjoyed it from the first page, Vlad is so cute I love him ❤️ and Dahlia is a warrior with a horrible past, I admire her.
February 27, 2021
“Anything that is beautiful, people want to break. You are beautiful to me. I didn’t want you to fade until there was nothing left of you.”
Good job, Beena Khan. That's all I have to say. You really got me there for a second.
This book was surprisingly good??? I'm not a big lover of those types of reads but this one was written really considerably and in perfect lines that it helped me to enjoy the storyline even more (which I ate up in exactly 2 days, I'm not exaggerating). It was a nice change for a bit for Vlad not to be one enjoying the position in which he was born into. And even if Dahlia was a lot smitten and all too annoying at times, I actually get her actions. I know, shocker. But hey, if I was held captive by a man like Vlad, I would swoon over him too haha.
The ending really broke me but I liked it, which speaks a lot about myself. Even if my little heart was craving a happy ending for Vlad and his handsome face that finally learned how to smile, as a writer myself I just can't not appreciate the poetic betrayal and can't wait to see what will happen afterwards. Really hoping she doesn't turn the next poor Don into Vlad... or even worse - to actually replace him.
P.s. Also... THAT COVER??? It's so pretty!!! Honestly, it was the first thing that grabbed my attention and made me want to give this book a chance.
Some other quotes that I loved from the book:
It only took one look. One look and I was doomed.
He’d seen many pretty women before, but this one was beautiful. That was the word to describe her. It had been forever since he’d found a woman beautiful.
“How hard is it to say the word, please?” he murmured.
Oh. That’s what he wanted?
“Please Vlad,” I said softly.
It was the first time I’d spoken his name.
“You’re so pretty when you beg.”
“Literature,” I replied. “I like books.”
His ears seem to perk up then, and he gave me a lazy smirk.
“Belle from Beauty and the Beast liked to read to,” he commented.
I stared up at him, quizzically. “This isn’t a fairytale though.”
He arched an eyebrow at me. “Perhaps not. You’re a little beauty though.”
His compliment seemed genuine, and it lacked any leeriness behind it. I didn’t smile as I looked up at him. “You know, the original name of Belle is actually Beauty.”
“Should I start calling you that then?”
“Should I call you Beast?”
I was surrounded by heartless men who were dead on the insides.
Mercy was big in this world that always took.
He was really handsome, as if molded carefully by God himself. I didn’t want to admit it, but his beauty was terrifying with his rugged edges. If you took those away, he was haunting.
“You’re a cruel beauty,” he whispered. “I’m trying to be a good man.”
Then, I smiled at him, at his words.
I only wanted him, no one else.
My enemy, my lover.
“If I say please, will you ever let me go?”
I didn’t want to get too hopeful.
Vlad’s lips turned upward in a grin. His eyes scorched into mine. “I’m never letting you go, Dahlia. You’re mine now.”
“I hate you,” she shot at him with as much venom as she could mutter.
He looked at her amused. “I promise you’ll love me one day.”
There’s nothing beautiful about being broken. That’s not something that I imagined for you.
“Your tears are everything, sweetheart,” he whispered against my cheek.
I sighed deeply.
“You’re creepy.” I accused him.
A small, amused smile played at his lips, and I wanted to kiss it off. “How am I creepy?” he asked.
I blinked at him slowly. “All you do is stare at me.”
“Potrei guardarti tutto il giorno.”
I smiled at the Italian words coming out of his mouth. It sounded like poetry. Right now, anything that came from him would be amazing.
“What does that mean?”
“I could look at you all day.”
I was his Doll, and he was my darkest fairytale.
“You bury me,” I whispered.
He stilled and waited for me to continue, maybe not understanding my meaning.
“I wish to die before you, so I don’t see you die.”
Just then, Vlad’s red-rimmed eyes stared at me, accusing me.
“You betrayed me, Dahlia,” he whispered at last.
I am a beauty so cruel.
Good job, Beena Khan. That's all I have to say. You really got me there for a second.
This book was surprisingly good??? I'm not a big lover of those types of reads but this one was written really considerably and in perfect lines that it helped me to enjoy the storyline even more (which I ate up in exactly 2 days, I'm not exaggerating). It was a nice change for a bit for Vlad not to be one enjoying the position in which he was born into. And even if Dahlia was a lot smitten and all too annoying at times, I actually get her actions. I know, shocker. But hey, if I was held captive by a man like Vlad, I would swoon over him too haha.
The ending really broke me but I liked it, which speaks a lot about myself. Even if my little heart was craving a happy ending for Vlad and his handsome face that finally learned how to smile, as a writer myself I just can't not appreciate the poetic betrayal and can't wait to see what will happen afterwards. Really hoping she doesn't turn the next poor Don into Vlad... or even worse - to actually replace him.
P.s. Also... THAT COVER??? It's so pretty!!! Honestly, it was the first thing that grabbed my attention and made me want to give this book a chance.
Some other quotes that I loved from the book:
It only took one look. One look and I was doomed.
He’d seen many pretty women before, but this one was beautiful. That was the word to describe her. It had been forever since he’d found a woman beautiful.
“How hard is it to say the word, please?” he murmured.
Oh. That’s what he wanted?
“Please Vlad,” I said softly.
It was the first time I’d spoken his name.
“You’re so pretty when you beg.”
“Literature,” I replied. “I like books.”
His ears seem to perk up then, and he gave me a lazy smirk.
“Belle from Beauty and the Beast liked to read to,” he commented.
I stared up at him, quizzically. “This isn’t a fairytale though.”
He arched an eyebrow at me. “Perhaps not. You’re a little beauty though.”
His compliment seemed genuine, and it lacked any leeriness behind it. I didn’t smile as I looked up at him. “You know, the original name of Belle is actually Beauty.”
“Should I start calling you that then?”
“Should I call you Beast?”
I was surrounded by heartless men who were dead on the insides.
Mercy was big in this world that always took.
He was really handsome, as if molded carefully by God himself. I didn’t want to admit it, but his beauty was terrifying with his rugged edges. If you took those away, he was haunting.
“You’re a cruel beauty,” he whispered. “I’m trying to be a good man.”
Then, I smiled at him, at his words.
I only wanted him, no one else.
My enemy, my lover.
“If I say please, will you ever let me go?”
I didn’t want to get too hopeful.
Vlad’s lips turned upward in a grin. His eyes scorched into mine. “I’m never letting you go, Dahlia. You’re mine now.”
“I hate you,” she shot at him with as much venom as she could mutter.
He looked at her amused. “I promise you’ll love me one day.”
There’s nothing beautiful about being broken. That’s not something that I imagined for you.
“Your tears are everything, sweetheart,” he whispered against my cheek.
I sighed deeply.
“You’re creepy.” I accused him.
A small, amused smile played at his lips, and I wanted to kiss it off. “How am I creepy?” he asked.
I blinked at him slowly. “All you do is stare at me.”
“Potrei guardarti tutto il giorno.”
I smiled at the Italian words coming out of his mouth. It sounded like poetry. Right now, anything that came from him would be amazing.
“What does that mean?”
“I could look at you all day.”
I was his Doll, and he was my darkest fairytale.
“You bury me,” I whispered.
He stilled and waited for me to continue, maybe not understanding my meaning.
“I wish to die before you, so I don’t see you die.”
Just then, Vlad’s red-rimmed eyes stared at me, accusing me.
“You betrayed me, Dahlia,” he whispered at last.
I am a beauty so cruel.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 8, 2021
Wow! This book was a very pleasant surprise, I enjoyed it from the first to the last page, and the plot twist towards the end of the book 🤯 definitely a very good read. In addition, it’s a retelling of The Beauty and the Beast that is very well worked by Beena Khan, the story is very interesting, the narration is from the perspective of both protagonists and the rhythm is maintained throughout the entire book.
Vlad is a lovable character, he’s the beast in the story,and an unpredictable man in the best way. He has lived a lonely childhood and has a constant struggle between his ideals and his duty. I think Vlad is a very interesting character, throughout history he surprised me on many occasions, I love to see the strong side of him, but my favorite is the tender and detailed side of him😍. Dahlia, for her part, is a super brave girl, with an equally tragic childhood and who is forced to make a reckless proposal to save her life. She struck me as a very strong girl, she has a mouth that gets her in trouble constantly, but also leads her into situations that are funny at times.
One of the things I liked the most about this story was the relationship between Vlad & Dahlia, it’s true that it does not start in the best way, and much less in a traditional way, but I think the development that their love has is very good: I love that their approaches begin to occur little by little, that Vlad has an unexpected behavior and that little by little they begin to trust each other. I am the happiest when they begin to share the most painful moments of their lives with the other 😭
But without a doubt, the best thing about A Beauty So Cruel is the plot, from the first moment the story caught my attention, it’s full of secrets, unexpected situations and characters, nicely written villains (I hated them with all my heart🤬😅), and one of the best, and most unexpected, plot twists I've ever read.
In short, this book seemed very good to me, I fell in love with its characters and history, and I am looking forward to reading the next book because I need to know what will happen.
ARC provided by the author in exchange for an honest review
🇪🇸
¡Wow! Este libro fue una sorpresa muy grata, lo disfrute desde la primera hasta la ultima pagina, y el plot twist hacia el final del libro 🤯 definitivamente una lectura muy buena. Además, es un retelling de La bella y la bestia que está muy bien trabajado de parte de Beena Khan, la historia es muy interesante, la narración es desde la perspectiva de ambos protagonistas y el ritmo se mantiene a o largo de todo el libro.
Vlad es un personaje adorable, es la bestia de la historia, y un hombre impredecible en la mejor forma. Ha vivido una infancia solitaria y tiene una lucha constante entre sus ideales y su dever. Creo que Vlad es un pesonaje muy interesante, a lo largo de la historia me sorprendió en muchas ocasiones, me encanta ver su lado fuerte, pero mi favorito es su lado tierno y detallista😍. Dahlia, por su parte, es una chica súper valiente, con una infancia igual de trágica y que se ve obligada a hacer una propuesta imprudente para salvar su vida. Ella me pareció una chica muy fuerte, tiene una boca que la mete en problemas constantemente, pero también la lleva a situaciones que son divertidas a veces.
Una de las cosas que más me gustó de esta historia fue la relación entre Vlad & Dahlia, es cierto que no comienza de la mejor manera, y mucho menos de forma tradicional, pero creo que el desarrollo que tiene su amor es muy bueno: me encanta que sus acercamientos comiencen a darse de a poco, que Vlad tenga un comportamiento inesperado y que poco a poco comiencen a confiar en el otro. Yo soy la más feliz cuando comienzan a compartir los momentos más dolorosos de sus vidas con el otro 😭
Pero sin lugar a dudas, lo mejor que tiene A Beauty So Cruel es su trama, desde el primer momento la historia captó mi atención, está llena de misterios, situaciones y personajes inesperados, villanos muy bien escritos (los odié con todo mi corazón🤬😅), y uno de los mejores, y más inesperados, plot twist que he leído.
En definitiva este libro me pareció muy bueno, me enamoré de sus personajes e historia, y estoy deseando leer el próximo libro porque necesito saber que pasará.
ARC proporcionada por la autora a cambio de una reseña honesta
Vlad is a lovable character, he’s the beast in the story,and an unpredictable man in the best way. He has lived a lonely childhood and has a constant struggle between his ideals and his duty. I think Vlad is a very interesting character, throughout history he surprised me on many occasions, I love to see the strong side of him, but my favorite is the tender and detailed side of him😍. Dahlia, for her part, is a super brave girl, with an equally tragic childhood and who is forced to make a reckless proposal to save her life. She struck me as a very strong girl, she has a mouth that gets her in trouble constantly, but also leads her into situations that are funny at times.
One of the things I liked the most about this story was the relationship between Vlad & Dahlia, it’s true that it does not start in the best way, and much less in a traditional way, but I think the development that their love has is very good: I love that their approaches begin to occur little by little, that Vlad has an unexpected behavior and that little by little they begin to trust each other. I am the happiest when they begin to share the most painful moments of their lives with the other 😭
But without a doubt, the best thing about A Beauty So Cruel is the plot, from the first moment the story caught my attention, it’s full of secrets, unexpected situations and characters, nicely written villains (I hated them with all my heart🤬😅), and one of the best, and most unexpected, plot twists I've ever read.
In short, this book seemed very good to me, I fell in love with its characters and history, and I am looking forward to reading the next book because I need to know what will happen.
ARC provided by the author in exchange for an honest review
🇪🇸
¡Wow! Este libro fue una sorpresa muy grata, lo disfrute desde la primera hasta la ultima pagina, y el plot twist hacia el final del libro 🤯 definitivamente una lectura muy buena. Además, es un retelling de La bella y la bestia que está muy bien trabajado de parte de Beena Khan, la historia es muy interesante, la narración es desde la perspectiva de ambos protagonistas y el ritmo se mantiene a o largo de todo el libro.
Vlad es un personaje adorable, es la bestia de la historia, y un hombre impredecible en la mejor forma. Ha vivido una infancia solitaria y tiene una lucha constante entre sus ideales y su dever. Creo que Vlad es un pesonaje muy interesante, a lo largo de la historia me sorprendió en muchas ocasiones, me encanta ver su lado fuerte, pero mi favorito es su lado tierno y detallista😍. Dahlia, por su parte, es una chica súper valiente, con una infancia igual de trágica y que se ve obligada a hacer una propuesta imprudente para salvar su vida. Ella me pareció una chica muy fuerte, tiene una boca que la mete en problemas constantemente, pero también la lleva a situaciones que son divertidas a veces.
Una de las cosas que más me gustó de esta historia fue la relación entre Vlad & Dahlia, es cierto que no comienza de la mejor manera, y mucho menos de forma tradicional, pero creo que el desarrollo que tiene su amor es muy bueno: me encanta que sus acercamientos comiencen a darse de a poco, que Vlad tenga un comportamiento inesperado y que poco a poco comiencen a confiar en el otro. Yo soy la más feliz cuando comienzan a compartir los momentos más dolorosos de sus vidas con el otro 😭
Pero sin lugar a dudas, lo mejor que tiene A Beauty So Cruel es su trama, desde el primer momento la historia captó mi atención, está llena de misterios, situaciones y personajes inesperados, villanos muy bien escritos (los odié con todo mi corazón🤬😅), y uno de los mejores, y más inesperados, plot twist que he leído.
En definitiva este libro me pareció muy bueno, me enamoré de sus personajes e historia, y estoy deseando leer el próximo libro porque necesito saber que pasará.
ARC proporcionada por la autora a cambio de una reseña honesta
April 7, 2021
I got a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review!
I remember starting this just a few hours ago and I literally flew through it! It was so good!! I think I was mainly blown away because I haven’t read as much mafia romance as I would like so it was a new-ish experience for me reading about that kind of world! Though I’m not new to dark themes, I definitely enjoyed how well it was handled here and how informative it was!
CW: abduction, rape, child abuse, human trafficking, death, murder, violence, unconsented actions and probably more I haven’t mentioned
“𝗔𝗻𝘆𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝗮𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘂𝗹, 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗸. 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗮𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝘁𝗼 𝗺𝗲. 𝗜 𝗱𝗶𝗱𝗻’𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗼 𝗳𝗮𝗱𝗲 𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗹𝗲𝗳𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂.”
I was already intrigued prior starting this book when I saw that it was a modern beauty and the beast retelling mafia romance since I’m a sucker for that kind of trope. I was definitely hoooked from the beginning! The pacing and suspense kept me wanting to read on and on. I enjoyed reading from both POVs of the main characters because their thoughts are so interesting!
The overall story was your typical mafia romance but I liked that it focused on the ugly reality of the work of these men in terms of human trafficking especially with women and how they’re kidnapped and sold for prostitution. It’s a particularly hard topic to read about but talking about it and acknowledging the cruel reality of it even in books spreads awareness and makes you ponder about it which I liked.
I really liked Dahlia and Vlad’s chemistry!! The way it was a deliciously slow burn, enemies to lovers romance had my heart!! I was a bit sus of Dahlia already from the get go but I was too distracted by their back and forths to think too hard on it. The smut was IMPECCABLE. There are times when I just skim through the smut because of used to I am of them but in this book, I was holding on to every word. I loved how it started off as foreplay almost (Vlad is a boobs man 🥵) so when we got to the parts when they finally did it, it was fueled by so much tension and emotion already that it was just heaven reading about it. I also love that their relationship wasn’t instalove all throughout. The doubts and suspicions they had for each other after everything that went down kept me on my toes. I enjoyed the parts when they were getting to know each other and all the cute scenes they had just added that bit of lightness amidst the serious plot. AND I really liked that we had Lebanese and Italian/Russian leads!! Adds a bit culture rather than having your typical white characters 🙈
As for the side characters, Enzo is an ass. Salvi is an ass as well and I have my eyes on him because I don’t know what else he might be capable of. Natalie is such a nice mother figure to everyone, I loved her! Gabriele.. I’m so intrigued by this cousin of Vlad’s 👀 I hope we get more of him in the future!
Overall, I had the best time reading this book!! The plot twist at the end broke my heart 😭 I can’t wait for more in this series! Ahhh I highly recommend this for those looking for a quick mafia romance to read with a really good plot and even better romance! 💛
I remember starting this just a few hours ago and I literally flew through it! It was so good!! I think I was mainly blown away because I haven’t read as much mafia romance as I would like so it was a new-ish experience for me reading about that kind of world! Though I’m not new to dark themes, I definitely enjoyed how well it was handled here and how informative it was!
CW: abduction, rape, child abuse, human trafficking, death, murder, violence, unconsented actions and probably more I haven’t mentioned
“𝗔𝗻𝘆𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝗮𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘂𝗹, 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗸. 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗮𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝘁𝗼 𝗺𝗲. 𝗜 𝗱𝗶𝗱𝗻’𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗼 𝗳𝗮𝗱𝗲 𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗹𝗲𝗳𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂.”
I was already intrigued prior starting this book when I saw that it was a modern beauty and the beast retelling mafia romance since I’m a sucker for that kind of trope. I was definitely hoooked from the beginning! The pacing and suspense kept me wanting to read on and on. I enjoyed reading from both POVs of the main characters because their thoughts are so interesting!
The overall story was your typical mafia romance but I liked that it focused on the ugly reality of the work of these men in terms of human trafficking especially with women and how they’re kidnapped and sold for prostitution. It’s a particularly hard topic to read about but talking about it and acknowledging the cruel reality of it even in books spreads awareness and makes you ponder about it which I liked.
I really liked Dahlia and Vlad’s chemistry!! The way it was a deliciously slow burn, enemies to lovers romance had my heart!! I was a bit sus of Dahlia already from the get go but I was too distracted by their back and forths to think too hard on it. The smut was IMPECCABLE. There are times when I just skim through the smut because of used to I am of them but in this book, I was holding on to every word. I loved how it started off as foreplay almost (Vlad is a boobs man 🥵) so when we got to the parts when they finally did it, it was fueled by so much tension and emotion already that it was just heaven reading about it. I also love that their relationship wasn’t instalove all throughout. The doubts and suspicions they had for each other after everything that went down kept me on my toes. I enjoyed the parts when they were getting to know each other and all the cute scenes they had just added that bit of lightness amidst the serious plot. AND I really liked that we had Lebanese and Italian/Russian leads!! Adds a bit culture rather than having your typical white characters 🙈
As for the side characters, Enzo is an ass. Salvi is an ass as well and I have my eyes on him because I don’t know what else he might be capable of. Natalie is such a nice mother figure to everyone, I loved her! Gabriele.. I’m so intrigued by this cousin of Vlad’s 👀 I hope we get more of him in the future!
Overall, I had the best time reading this book!! The plot twist at the end broke my heart 😭 I can’t wait for more in this series! Ahhh I highly recommend this for those looking for a quick mafia romance to read with a really good plot and even better romance! 💛
May 21, 2021
I'd start by saying thank you Beena Khan for reaching out and wanting me to review your duet. I always love to support my indie authors where I can so it was a joy to jump on this series.
Now Beauty and the Beast is one of my favourite fairytales and despite knowing about a lot of the retellings it's had in the romance book world I've never actually touched it before.
Beena's telling of this story was unique and different with a mafia twist. Now I've read a lot of books and mafia is one of my top genres because of the brilliant reads I've devoured so it was nice to go back to my favourite trope.
Vlad Vitalli is part of the five families and when Dahlia witnesses a murder he has no choice but to kill her or...let her offer herself up to him.
He's broody and mean, a little like the beast, but as Dahlia lives with him she breaks downs his walls. With him unintentionally breaking hers down too.
There's tension, drama and secrets that unfold leading to a cliff hanger to keep you wanting more.
I will say it was a little confusing to track the tenses and understand how the POV was written. Vlad's was in third and Dahlia was in first person. Although it was consistent but took me some time to click onto.
Despite that it's a good read and if you're looking to try and new author and soemthing new then it's for you!
Thanks Beena for the review copy in exchange for an honest review.
Now Beauty and the Beast is one of my favourite fairytales and despite knowing about a lot of the retellings it's had in the romance book world I've never actually touched it before.
Beena's telling of this story was unique and different with a mafia twist. Now I've read a lot of books and mafia is one of my top genres because of the brilliant reads I've devoured so it was nice to go back to my favourite trope.
Vlad Vitalli is part of the five families and when Dahlia witnesses a murder he has no choice but to kill her or...let her offer herself up to him.
He's broody and mean, a little like the beast, but as Dahlia lives with him she breaks downs his walls. With him unintentionally breaking hers down too.
There's tension, drama and secrets that unfold leading to a cliff hanger to keep you wanting more.
I will say it was a little confusing to track the tenses and understand how the POV was written. Vlad's was in third and Dahlia was in first person. Although it was consistent but took me some time to click onto.
Despite that it's a good read and if you're looking to try and new author and soemthing new then it's for you!
Thanks Beena for the review copy in exchange for an honest review.
July 29, 2021
4,5✨
Es war so, so gut!! Ein richtig mega guter Dark Romance Roman😻 ich bin echt begeistert.
Das Retelling Thema „Beauty and the Beast“ wurde modern und toll umgesetzt. Man hatte auch nicht dieses komische Stockholm-Syndrom Feeling, dass man meistens bei solchen Storys dann hat😅🙈 Die Story war teilweise so, wie man es aus Dark Romance Büchern kennt aber andererseits auch wieder etwas neues.
Es hatte ausserdem einen Plotttwist in der Mitte, den man leicht vermutet ABER das Ende OH MEIN GOTT! Der Plotttwist war einfach nur MEGA! Ich hab mir sofort nach dem Ende Band 2 geholt🥺🙀🙀 das hab ich absolut nicht kommen sehen!🙀 SO SO GUT!!
Auch die Charaktere fand ich toll und authentisch. Sie war definitiv Bad Ass und sie hat eine ziemlich krasse Vergangenheit die eine Triggerwarnung braucht!
Nur die Erotikszenen könnten noch etwas mehr ausgeschrieben werden, aber das ist der einzige kleine Abzug den ich für das Buch habe🙈
Aber es passt zur Entwicklung und sowas von auch zu Story. Ich bin einfach begeistert❤️😻 auch Vlad war toll 🙊 und ich bin so so gespannt auf Band 2.
Die Story von Dahlia&Vlad endet mit Band 2 und mal sehen was alles noch kommt Band3&4 sind andere Storys mit je anderen Protagonisten🥰
Aber das Buch ist eine absolute Empfehlung von mir❤️
Es war so, so gut!! Ein richtig mega guter Dark Romance Roman😻 ich bin echt begeistert.
Das Retelling Thema „Beauty and the Beast“ wurde modern und toll umgesetzt. Man hatte auch nicht dieses komische Stockholm-Syndrom Feeling, dass man meistens bei solchen Storys dann hat😅🙈 Die Story war teilweise so, wie man es aus Dark Romance Büchern kennt aber andererseits auch wieder etwas neues.
Es hatte ausserdem einen Plotttwist in der Mitte, den man leicht vermutet ABER das Ende OH MEIN GOTT! Der Plotttwist war einfach nur MEGA! Ich hab mir sofort nach dem Ende Band 2 geholt🥺🙀🙀 das hab ich absolut nicht kommen sehen!🙀 SO SO GUT!!
Auch die Charaktere fand ich toll und authentisch. Sie war definitiv Bad Ass und sie hat eine ziemlich krasse Vergangenheit die eine Triggerwarnung braucht!
Nur die Erotikszenen könnten noch etwas mehr ausgeschrieben werden, aber das ist der einzige kleine Abzug den ich für das Buch habe🙈
Aber es passt zur Entwicklung und sowas von auch zu Story. Ich bin einfach begeistert❤️😻 auch Vlad war toll 🙊 und ich bin so so gespannt auf Band 2.
Die Story von Dahlia&Vlad endet mit Band 2 und mal sehen was alles noch kommt Band3&4 sind andere Storys mit je anderen Protagonisten🥰
Aber das Buch ist eine absolute Empfehlung von mir❤️
Displaying 1 - 30 of 418 reviews